Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Jennifer Tilly, Toshiro Mifune, Donald Sutherland
Director: Jacques Dorfmann
Producer: Claude Leger
Screenplay: David Milhaud and Jacques Dorfmann
Cinematography: Billy Williams
Music: Maurice Jaffey
U.S. Distributor: Triumph Release Corporation
Agaguk (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a young Eskimo belonging to the tribe of his father, Croomak (Toshiro Mifune), the shaman. Agaguk is impulsive, and when he declares that Igiyook (Jennifer Tilly), a woman Croomak has already chosen for his own, is to be his mate, his father exiles him. On his way out, Agaguk attempts to retrieve a stolen polar bear pelt from a white fur trapper. A struggle ensues and the trapper is killed. Along with Igiyook, Agaguk flees. It isn't long before the police, in the person of Henderson (Donald Sutherland), come to investigate the murder, and eventually the clues point in the direction of shaman's exiled son.
The intention of Shadow of the Wolf is to do for Eskimos what Dances with Wolves did for American Indians. Put simply, it doesn't work. The story is the biggest weakness. It's convoluted, riddled with silly mystical aspects that crush any hope of realism, and ultimately pointless. Many things happen that lead nowhere. It's as if the writers had a beginning and an ending, but needed an hour of filler to pad out the middle. Better than half of this movie -- including everything involving Henderson -- could have been snipped without significant loss.
The dialogue is absurd. Most of the characters talk in grunts, monosyllables, words, and occasionally short sentences. Actually, they usually bellow rather than talk. Lou Diamond Phillips probably goes for nearly forty-five minutes before he has more than a couple of lines to say. Jennifer Tilly never says much of substance, which is probably good, considering the audience's tendency to laugh every time they hear that high-pitched, squeaky voice.
Just about everyone, except perhaps Donald Sutherland as a Canadian police officer, is miscast. Lou Diamond Phillips shows little charisma and less ability as the rebellious Agaguk. Toshiro Mifune, a fine Japanese actor, is wasted, as well as embarrassed, in his role. And it's impossible to understand where the production team came up with Jennifer Tilly for the female lead. Not only is her acting ability severely limited, but she looks nothing like an Eskimo.
The musical score is intrusive and melodramatic, and the overall sound quality is dubious. There are some scenes where dialogue dubbed during post-production isn't perfectly synched with the moving lips of the person or persons speaking (or chanting) it.
There are a few worthwhile moments in Shadow of the Wolf, although not nearly enough to justify sitting through it. The igloo-building is fascinating, as is the whale-hunting expedition, and the trek to the "Top of the World". Other than that, however, everything is either overdone, underdone, or done so poorly as to not be worth watching. Shadow of the Wolf has lofty ambitions, none of which are achieved.
© 1993 James Berardinelli